Timer
by Happy Jinxmas
Summary: The woman smiled. "Let me tell you something. It's not as scary as you think. Let it happen. It's not about how much time you have, it's about how you use it." She winked. "It's worth it." [Multiple pairings] Soulmate!AU
1. Chapter 1

_00:000:00:00:00_

 _Years:days:hours:minutes:seconds_

 _Example- 10:364:23:59:59, ten years, three hundred sixty four days, twenty three hours, fifty nine minutes, fifty nine seconds._

 _Everyone has a timer implanted on their forearm at birth. It is irreplaceable and impossible to remove. It reaches zero the moment you meet your soulmate. When it does, a tattoo is seared on your skin in a random area. The only person with a matching one is your soulmate._

 _..._

 _Most people are anticipating the moment the numbers reach 00:000:00:00:00. But not Ekko. He's afraid. When his timer reaches 00:001:00:00:00, he turns back time to three days before. But he's getting sick of living the same days again and again. Will he have the courage to face the last 24 hours and meet his soulmate?_

 _Garen Crownguard's tattoo had seared itself onto the back of his neck years ago. He still hasn't found the woman who he's apparently already met. He's spent almost a year searching now, but still hasn't found the matching tattoo. What happens when he catches Katarina du Couteau from Noxus, with her hair up, a tattoo clearly marked on her neck?_

 _When they were children, Zed thought his soulmate was Akali, even if their timers weren't done counting. But when her timer reached zero, she left him. It was for a person he'd never thought it would be. Five years ago, his own brother, Shen, met Akali for the first time, and their timer clicked, and their tattoos matched. Broken, he resents his timer, which is still ticking. 00:002:06:29:05. Two days. Will his so called soulmate be able to replace his broken heart?_

Ekko walked down the dirtied roads of Zaun. He glanced down at his forearm. _00:001:00:30:23._ He had thirty minutes before he'd turn back time. Biting his lip, he continued to stroll down the road, occasionally waving to people as they walked by.

 _00:001:00:15:12._ The minutes seemed to drag on longer and longer. Ekko rubbed his face in his hands.

"Maybe I should just stop turning time back," he mumbled to himself. _What am I so afraid of, anyway? It's just a soulmate. If this system works, she and I should get along nicely. And maybe, fall in love._

 _00:001:00:10:23._ Ten minutes.

Ekko clenched his fists. His nails dug into his skin sharply, drawing blood. He must've looked pretty mad, because a woman had paused to look at him. She looked vaguely familiar, as if he had met her another time. Maybe it was a while ago. Ekko had turned back time often enough to force himself to not think about people he met, because it was never permanent.

"Young man, is there something wrong?"

Ekko shook his head, forcing a smile onto his face. "No, ma'am, I'm fine." He rubbed his forearm. The woman noticed this, and smiled. "One day, hm?"

Ekko hesitated. "I...guess."

The woman smiled. "Let me tell you something. It's not as scary as you think. Let it happen. It's not about how much time you have, it's about how you use it." She winked. "It's worth it."

Ekko's nails relaxed from its death grip on his palms. He glanced at his hands, wincing as he traced the small beads of blood rising from the crescent shaped cuts on his dark skin.

 _00:000:23:45:22._

Too late to go back now.

Ekko glanced up. "Uh, thanks...um…"

She was gone.

Ekko let out a breath and sighed, making his way back to his home. He'd probably get only a few hours of sleep at most. His stomach flipped and he found it slightly hard to breathe.

He trudged home, shoving the door open and glancing at his timer again.

 _00:000:23:15:13._

"Hi, honey!" His mother waved from the kitchen. Ekko waved back half heartedly. His mother frowned. "Ekko, are you alright?"

Ekko realized that he had forgotten how to respond to his mother normally. He had turned back time so many times that he'd given off robotic responses off memory for the past few years. His mouth turned dry and he wondered how the hell he'd turned back time so many times without hesitation.

"I'm fine, mom. Just a bit dizzy," Ekko sighed. "I'm going to my room."

"How bad is it? Do you need me to take your temperature?" His mother pressed a hand against his forehead, her brow furrowed in worry. "I'm fine, mom," Ekko smiled at her reassuringly, grabbing her arm gently and putting it down. His mother glanced at the bright numbers on his arm. "Oh, one more day until I get to meet the special girl!"

Ekko cringed and smiled weakly. "Yeah."

Ekko's mother gently held his arm. "Ekko, darling, don't be afraid… You know when I met your father, I was determined to show everyone that the tattoo doesn't really mean anything. But, well, I just couldn't resist him," she smiled fondly. "The tattoo won't bring anything but joy."

Ekko wrapped his arms around his mother and held her in a hug as she sniffled. "I miss him too."

His mother pulled away gently. "Anyway, I know that this girl is going to be special."

Ekko nodded absentmindedly. Thoughts raced through his mind. He knew there was no turning back, but right now he wanted to kick himself for being 'brave' and not turning back time. He wasn't prepared for this.

He trudged up to his room and flopped onto his bed. It creaked under his weight and he shoved his face into his pillow. He definitely wasn't going to get any sleep tonight.

* * *

"Garen!" A high, feminine voice rang through the air. Garen Crownguard turned to the sound and smiled slightly, seeing his blonde sister running towards him. "Garen, are you coming to the ball?" Luxanna Crownguard asked brightly.

Garen nodded, "It is my duty to attend, Lux."

Lux wiggled her eyebrows. "You might find your special someone there," she winked. "Mother has wanted grandchildren since you passed puberty."

Garen's face turned an impressive shade of red. "T-that's none of your business."

Lux peered at the back of Garen's neck, pulling down his blue scarf. The tattoo was a dagger and sword that were engulfed by red and blue flames, centered on he back of his neck. "I'm still so confused as to how you don't know who your soulmate is. Didn't you get this tattoo years ago?"

Garen nodded, pulling away. "It's not like I can see her tattoo because it would be on her neck."

"It's warm out, and the new fashion is to wear their hair up," Lux said, optimistic as always.

Garen shook his head. "I'm not sure why you're so excited for me, Lux," he grabbed his sister's arm and pushed back her sleeve. "You're supposed to meet him tonight, probably at the ball."

Lux's timer was ticking down to its last hours.

 _00:000:05:31:27._

No matter how much Garen wanted to keep his little sister under his protection, he knew he would have to hand her over to her soulmate one day. "Are you excited?" He asked. Lux nodded. "Oh, I hope he's tall, dark and handsome," she swooned. The characteristics she wanted in her soulmate starkly contrasted herself. Lux was bright blond, cheery, and petite. She was always called pretty or beautiful by passing men.

"We should get ready," Lux said excitedly, pulling her brother's arm. Garen sighed, glancing longingly at the training grounds before grudgingly following his sister. "The ball isn't for another four hours," he complained. Lux rolled her eyes. "You stink! You need a shower, and then you need to find something nice to wear, and it needs to be perfect!"

Garen felt his body getting heavier with each step. But, he couldn't help but feel apprehensive for the ball. What if he did find his soulmate again?

* * *

Zed was in a foul mood. Shen had told him that he wanted to propose to Akali, and wanted his brother to approve. Of course, being the nice brother he is, Zed had said it would be a wonderful wedding.

Once Shen was out of sight, Zed let his raging emotions take over. Now, he was sitting in the middle of a forest, breathing slowly. He pulled off his mask, letting his face and hair cool down in the gentle breeze. It wasn't fair. He and Akali were clearly in love when they were younger. They had ignored their timers, which hadn't stopped. Zed made the mistake of introducing Shen to Akali five years ago. Their timers had ticked down to zero, and Akali stared at Shen as if he were God himself.

Shen was immediately smitten, and Zed had stared in disbelief as they showed each other their new tattoos, seared into the middle of their chests. The tattoo was a katana wrapped in chains. Akali has gently touched her soulmate's chest, tracing the chain. "I broke a chain with my bare hands when I was young," she said wistfully, "My mother knew that I would be special."

It was as if Zed had never existed. Akali has gone to Zed once and said, "I had fun...but you will find your lover soon." She had pointed at his timer, which was still ticking. Zed had simply stormed away. "I hope he can make you happier than I did."

And he did. Akali stared at Shen as if she had never seen anyone so handsome. She always had a dreamy look in her eyes when she saw him, racing into his strong arms.

Zed rolled up his sleeve and glared at his timer. _00:002:06:29:05._ He doubted this woman would ever be able to stand him. He was still bitter over how easily Akali had left him. He'd probably turn the woman away anyway. By law, soulmates had to live together for the rest of their lives. Almost all the time the pairs were married. The system never failed to match people with someone they loved. Zed's twisted thoughts spiraled. He wouldn't love this woman. He doubted he could.

"Zed," a deep voice interrupted his thoughts. It was Shen again. Zed turned around, slightly annoyed. "Yes, brother?"

Shen stood awkwardly before him. He was a man of few words, but always knew what to say. But now, he was at a loss for words. "I realized how insensitive it was for me to tell you that I was going to propose to Akali," the Eye of Twilight said in a monotone voice. Zed waved his hand in dismissal, getting up from his sitting position. The wind blew gently, tousling his white hair. "It was going to happen anyways. At least you had the courtesy to tell me first, instead of just asking her without me knowing."

Shen shifted his feet. Zed slapped his forehead. "You need help don't you."

The ninja nodded awkwardly.

"You know she'll say yes but you're still scared." Zed flatlined.

Shen nodded again.

Zed rolled his eyes. "I'll go find her and you can just...propose to her out here. Don't fuck it up. You have one job. Get on one knee and hold out a ring. If you manage to fuck up I will literally disown you as a brother."

Shen stared at him. "Thank you," he said quietly. Zed shrugged. He was still bitter, but Akali's happiness was important to him, and Shen made Akali happy. He sighed, grabbed his mask and disappeared in a cloud of smoky shadow.

* * *

Garen stood impatiently in his sister's room, watching her toss dresses left and right from her closet. "Luxanna," he said, his eye twitching, "Have you chosen a dress yet?"

Lux poked her head out of her closet. "Garen, I'm meeting my soulmate today, I need to look perfect!"

"At this rate, you're going to produce grandchildren faster than I am," Garen muttered. Lux flushed. "You should find something to wear too, brother!"

Garen raised an eyebrow. "I'm wearing a suit, Luxanna, it's not much of a difficult choice."

"Make sure that women can see your tattoo," Lux winked. "Maybe she'll see it and it'll be magical. You'll dip her in your arms and swoop in for a kiss-"

Garen put a hand over his sister's mouth. "Finish that sentence and you're not going to the ball."

Lux licked her brother's hand and he yanked it away in disgust. "Twenty one years of training to be a lady and I get this as a sister," he muttered affectionately. Lux crossed her arms, turning back to her wardrobe. She gasped and pulled out a white and gold dress. It fell in different layers at the bottom. It was strapless and had a very defined waistline. "I forgot I had this," she breathed. Lux ran to the bathroom with the dress, literally glowing with happiness.

Lux stepped out, twirling around. "How do I look?"

The dress reached the floor, covering her feet. It hugged her bodice, pushing up the generous chest that she had been blessed with, cinching her waist and accenting her hips. Golden designs swirled along the sides of the dress and across her chest. The dress fell into different layers at the waist, giving Lux a very feminine body shape.

Garen smiled. "If your soulmate isn't immediately attracted to you he's probably blind."

Lux squealed, clapping her hands together. "Now, it's your turn," she said, grabbing her brother's hand and pulling him towards his room across the hallway. "Luxanna," Garen complained. "The least I can do is fix your hair," Lux compromised. Garen rolled his eyes and glanced at the time as his sister sat him down at his desk.

Two more hours.

 _Please let me know what you guys think of this! Suggestions always help and motivate me. :)_


	2. Chapter 2

_The different stories that are happening in this fanfiction should be happening around the same time. I'm trying my best to keep the timeline straight. Garen's story will be more in depth because it's happening first timewise; then Ekko's, and Zed's, and whatever other champions I decide to insert in between xP_

Garen shifted uncomfortably in his suit. Lux was inspecting him critically, smoothing out the slight creases in the smooth black fabric. His sister adjusted his royal blue tie and stepped back to admire her work. Garen's normally untamed brown hair had been forcefully slicked back. Lux had made him shave, leaving women to dream about his sharp jawline. His black suit had been perfectly tailored to fit him, and Lux had specifically ordered him to expose his tattoo on his neck. Garen rubbed his neck, not used to it being exposed. He stared longingly at his scarf.

Lux snapped her fingers. "Hey! Snap out of it. Your lady is probably going to be at the ball and you need to sweep her off her feet."

Garen smoothed the hair on his sister's head. "You forget about your own predicament."

Lux blushed and twirled around. "I already feel beautiful. If my soulmate doesn't think I am, I'll change his mind."

Garen nodded, suddenly feeling very tired. He glanced at Lux's arm. _00:000:01:34:22._

"The ball should be starting very soon," Garen noted. "We should find mother or she'll freak."

Lux nodded, smiling bitterly. "Do you think she'll think I'm beautiful?"

Garen sighed slightly. His sister never had a good attitude towards their mother. She had a good reason to, however. Their mother was the spitting image of a perfect lady. She was trained by the best and in her peak years, had been one of the most beautiful women. When she had her children, she already had their lives planned out. They would be recognized as Demacia, and she would be the mastermind behind them. She would be a respected wife, mother, and lady. She'd never taken in account that her children would attempt to turn against her.

Lux had discovered magic.

That wasn't supposed to happen. Their mother had nearly disowned both of them; Garen for keeping Lux's secret and Lux for...well...the magic.

She had given Lux an ultimatum. Abandon magic and pretend it never happened, or be disowned. The blonde girl couldn't give up magic. It was a part of her, a part of her missing heart that yearned to be explored.

Garen, Lux, and Jarvan IV had managed to convince her to keep Lux as her daughter and still allow her to explore magic. Just, not in public.

"We'll just have to see," Garen said quietly. Lux merely turned on her heel and left the room, not waiting for her brother to catch up. "Lux!" he called, sighing. He trailed after her, knowing she would turn a deaf ear.

...

"Mother?" Lux called in an artificially sweet voice. Lady Crownguard turned to her daughter, a haughty look on her face. "Luxanna," she said. Her high cheekbones were dusted with pink blush, with her light blonde hair pulled tightly into a bun. Her dress was royal blue, with a darker blue corset pulling at her waist painfully. "I was thinking you weren't going to...make it."

Lux rolled her eyes, shaking her head. Her medium length hair fell down in waves. Unfortunately, Lux thought, she had inherited her mother's hair color. It was beautiful, she admitted, but it reminded her of terrible memories from her childhood. "I am to meet my soulmate today, mother, and I'm smart enough to realize it will be at the ball."

Lady Crownguard sniffed. "Maybe he'll whip you into shape."

Lux's lip curled. "Well, _Lillian,_ I-" A hand covered her mouth. "Luxanna." Garen said sternly. He had caught up to her, and was not pleased with how she was dealing with their mother. Lillian smiled broadly at her son. "Garen," she said. "I knew you would come."

Lux rolled her eyes and Garen let go of her. "Yes, mother," he said. "I represent Demacia, whether it be on the battlefield or at an event like this."

Lillian clapped her hands. "See Luxanna," she said condescendingly, "This is how you should have turned out. Respected and trained correctly."

"Mother," Garen snapped. "You should begin to greet the guests. They are arriving."

"Of course," Lillian stalked away. Lux's blood boiled. "I hate her," she growled. "I hope to leave this place and live with my soulmate as soon as possible."

"Speaking of which," Garen looked at his sister's arm. "You have an hour left."

Lux's heart beat erratically. "Oh," she breathed. "I do hope he comes soon."

Garen turned to the entrance. His mother and several other rich families were at the door. He had half a thought to find Jarvan, but he decided against it. He was probably either sucking face with his soulmate, Shyvana the half-dragon, or being scolded by his father or mother _because_ he was sucking face with Shyvana.

Lux elbowed her brother in the ribs. "You should look for your soulmate."

Garen flushed slightly. "She may not even come this early."

Lux rolled her eyes. "Well, there's women swooning over you anyways."

Garen glanced to the side, where women were swooning and fanning themselves as the giggled and pointed at him. Garen had decided to keep his tattoo a secret; nobody outside the Crownguard and Lightshield family knew it existed. Women were still hoping that they would be the lucky ones to meet Garen Crownguard and magically become his soulmate. "You should dance with them," Lux said casually.

Garen shook his head. "I'll go greet the people coming in," he said stiffly. HIs sister clapped her hands. "Good boy!"

It seemed like ages as Garen smiled and nodded at the passing Demacians. His face hurt. He was about to leave to find his sister when his mother, who was still dutifully greeting all the incoming guests, elbowed him. "The Noxians are here," she muttered distastefully.

Garen had nearly forgotten that the invitation extended to certain families in Noxus. His eyes narrowed as he saw the group entering. The Noxians had...an aura that drew all the Demacians away from them. It was strange.

The man in the front stepped forward. "Lady Crownguard," he said in an oily voice. He had white hair that was slicked back. He wore a black cape and was fully covered in armor. Strange choice of clothing for a ball. A raven with six eyes sat comfortably on his shoulder. The man turned to Garen. "Crownguard."

"Swain," Garen said stiffly. "It is a honor that you have been able to make it."

Swain smiled slowly. "So lovely that we have been invited to such a...prestigious event."

Garen nodded at each Noxian as they passed, gritting his teeth as Darius passed. The bulky man was dressed in a formal suit, which Garen had never seen; they always met on the battlefield in full armor. "Darius," he acknowledged. The other man grunted, meeting his eyes for a brief moment before making his way to the buffet table. Darius's infamous brother, Draven, followed behind, making his entrance loud and clear. "DRAAAAAVEN HAS ARRIVED, LADIES!" He crowed.

Garen rolled his eyes and moved on to the next Noxian. LeBlanc, Swain's longtime soulmate. The sorceress's purple stained lips turned upwards. "I won't try any tricks...tonight."

Garen's muscles tensed slightly. Talon passed by him without a word, eyes darting around for his soulmate, who, unfortunately, he didn't get to see often. Garen often felt pity for the assassin. Quinn had been forbidden to live with him, because of the Noxian and Demacian dispute. Even the laws for soulmates couldn't keep them together. Garen saw Talon's entire body relax as he spotted the purple haired scout in her dark blue gown. "Little Bird," Talon whispered, darting to her and engulfing Quinn in his scent. Quinn immediately turned around to face him and burrowed her face into his neck. "Talon."

Garen looked away politely in time for Cassiopeia to slither in. She slid a clawed finger up his tie. Garen shifted uncomfortably. "Miss Du Couteau-"

"Oh don't worry, wonder boy, I'm not trying to get you in bed, just window shopping," she laughed, her tongue flickering in and out of her mouth. She patted his chest and moved away. "She bothering you?" A smooth, sarcastic voice asked. Garen turned. "Katarina," he sighed. They were long term rivals; but in the recent years the two had stopped the neck to neck action. Ever since Noxus and Demacia had attempted to make up, the two had been able to strike up amiable conversations.

Katarina stood at the entrance, hand on her hip. She wore a strapless black silk dress that flowed smoothly down her figure, ending just above the floor. A pair of black heels that were at least five inches tall peeked from the hem of the dress. Her long red locks were pulled into a low bun that was raised slightly above her neck, but still covering half of it. Several loose, wavy strands framed her smooth face. Her green eyes flashed playfully, but Garen could see a remorse hiding in the depths of them. She wore long white gloves that reached to her elbows; Garen couldn't see her timer. Not like he wanted to. Definitely not.

Her ruby lips turned upwards. "Not going to welcome me in?"

"Welcome, Katarina," Garen smirked. Katarina's voice was tinged with bitterness. "Take a walk with me."

"Why don't we go to the balcony upstairs," Garen offered. "Us leaving without you coming in is...suspicious."

Katarina shrugged. "Away from Swain," she murmured, following Garen. He looked back at her curiously but continued to make his way to the stairs in the back hallway.

The two stood at the balcony together for an awkward moment.

...

"So," Garen started. "Away from Swain?"

Katarina's fists clenched on the rail of the balcony, breathing in. "My father," she murmured. "He's gone."

"Marcus du Couteau…" Garen trailed off. "Missing?"

Katarina's eyes hardened and she turned to him. "I think he was taken."

"You think Swain took him," Garen corrected the unsaid words. "He should be able to take care of himself," he said quietly. "You sho-"

"You don't understand!" Katarina snarled. "He may as well be dead. My family is breaking, Crownguard. Cass is lost without him. Talon has no one to serve."

Garen opened his mouth but Katarina started again. "Do you know what it's like? To see it happen?" Her voice cracked and she began speaking faster. "To sit at a table to eat meals with an empty chair, to sleep in a home with his room empty and barren, to know that he was not there to give out missions, to comfort my sister, to give my brother a _purpose._ " Her chest heaved. Blue eyes met green. Her eyes shimmered but no tears fell.

"Quinn being taken away from him broke my brother," Katarina said quietly. "And I...I don't even know who my soulmate is."

The redhead turned her back to Garen and lifted her hair that was still slightly covering her neck.

His blood went cold. The tattoo stained on her skin was so familiar yet so foreign.

Katarina turned back around. "I'm so angry," she snarled. "I don't even know who this man is-"

Garen turned around and lowered himself to her height, pulling back the collar of his suit. He felt her cold fingers touch his neck and he shivered. "You," she whispered. Garen turned around, meeting her eyes. Katarina brought her arms up and cupped his face in her hands. She paused. "I don't love you."

Garen wasn't sure how to react. He felt his skin turn cold and he tried to pull away.

"But I can learn."

 _The speech that Katarina gave was inspired by my close friend's sister. My friend passed away when she was 14, and I had the honor of listening to her sister's testimony. To hear her hurt really spoke to me and I had to put it somewhere. I guess it ended up here._

 _Anyways, on a brighter note, I'm sure y'all wanna see Lux meet her soulmate...so bonus!_

Lux greedily grabbed a juicy apple from the buffet table, biting into it and savoring the fruity flavor. She chewed through the apple easily, making her way to its core. She turned around, bumping into a large chest. "Oh, I'm sorry-" she looked up and gasped as she felt the middle of her back burn. She dropped her apple core and pulled the arm strap down on her forearm. She had forgotten! Her timer- it was gone.

She looked back at the man again. He towered over her, by at least a foot. She could see defined muscles pulling against his suit, and she swallowed as he bent down to pick up the apple core. "So it's you," he spoke. His voice was rough yet smooth, deep and dark. He grabbed her wrist gently. Lux stammered, blushing, "I-I'm Luxanna."

The man faltered for a moment but pulled her to the back hallway. "Take off your dress."

"W-what?" Lux yelped. The man sighed. "Turn around. I only need to see your back."

Lux's face flamed and she slowly turned around, letting the dress slip off her shoulders. She felt his large hands stop the dress from falling all the way down. "Beautiful," she heard him speak again.

 _He was looking at her tattoo._ _ **Their**_ _tattoo._

Covering her chest, she turned around to look at him, examining his face. He had an old scar that ran over his left eyebrow and a strange white streak running through his black hair. He looked to be the same age as her brother. Wait. White streak, man with almost the same build as her brother.

"You…" she whispered.

He touched her face. "Me."

 _Let me know what you think :)_


	3. Chapter 3

_Lmao I was supposed to be more productive over the summer I wonder where all that motivation went_

 _Also Odyssey Jinx and Odyssey Kayn are lowkey my new ship-but only in the Odyssey universe of course ;)_

 **Chapter 3**

Ekko glared at the ceiling. He could feel his eyes burning from no sleep. He raised his arm, blinking blearily at the bright numbers. _00:000:08:45:22._

He'd 'slept' most of the day away. Ekko sat up, cracking his neck and stretching upwards, feeling his bones pop. He wondered why his mom hadn't attempted to wake him up yet. Swinging his legs off the side of his bed, Ekko let out a long sigh, sliding off the mattress and getting dressed.

He opened his door slightly, calling, "Mom?"

His mother replied immediately from the depths of the kitchen. "Yes dear?"

"...What's for breakfast?"

He could hear the smile in his mother's voice. "Scrambled eggs, honey."

Ekko swung his weapon over his shoulder and headed towards the kitchen, rubbing his eyes. His mother shoved a plate of fresh scrambled eggs under his nose. "Come on honey, you need a lot more energy to get through today."

Ekko's stomach flipped as he saw his mother glance at his forearm. "U-uh, yeah." He grabbed the plate and took the fork that was in her hand, sitting down at the kitchen table. He began to eat slowly, letting the warm food awaken his system. "I'm gonna be heading out," Ekko said suddenly. His mother raised an eyebrow but nodded. "Brush your teeth first."

After finishing his food and carefully brushing his teeth, Ekko stepped out into the warm, polluted air of Zaun. He glanced at his arm again. _00:000:07:52:35._

"Gah," he muttered, scuffing his feet against the hard cement sidewalk. He wouldn't be able to relax at all today. He might not even be able to relax for the rest of his life. He was literally going to have a heart attack the second that clock hit zero. What was he going to do for _seven hours_? _I could run my head into a wall for a good two of those hours,_ Ekko thought sourly. "What good would that do? My soulmate wouldn't want an 18 year old boy with a bloody forehead. Oh wait, now I'm talking to myself. I'm actually going nuts." The timewinder groaned. "I hate everything right now."

"Hey, Ekko," a familiar voice pulled Ekko from his thoughts. A tall figure with huge fists towered over him. "Vi," he greeted the pink haired girl. The normally put together pinkette looked unusually stressed. "What's up?" he asked. Vi scratched the back of her head with her metal hand. "I got a letter a few days ago. Apparently it's from a girl named Jinx. She said she's my older sister and she's coming to visit. Today."

Ekko frowned. "You have a sister?"

Vi shrugged. "Apparently. I don't remember much from when I was a kid."

Ekko raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure she's your sister and not some stranger coming to steal all your stuff? Does she even know your name?"

Vi pulled out a crumpled piece of paper from the folds of her clothes. "Yep."

The letter was composed of magazine cutouts, spelling, _Hey Vi! Don't know if you remember me, but I'm your big sis, Jinx! I'm coming over for a visit in, like, four days? Not really sure, because Fishbones says four and the dude directing me to this Zaun place said three. See ya!_

"Doesn't sound like the kind, responsible sister that you need," Ekko joked weakly. "Well, if she really is your sister, then at least you've found a family member."

Vi cracked a grin. "You're right, kid. Better than nothing."

"How are you going to find her? You don't know what she looks like, do you?" Ekko questioned. Vi shook her head. "If she remembers who I am, then she should know what I look like. Well, she should remember that I have pink hair. I'll just walk around Zaun today and maybe she'll find me."

Ekko nodded. "If I find someone looking for you I'll let you know. I'm probably going to be out all day too."

Vi patted his shoulder. "Thanks. Why're you gonna be out all day?"

Ekko cleared his throat. "Well...I'm supposed to meet my soulmate today."

Vi clapped him on the back. "Congrats, kid."

Ekko shook his head. "What if she hates me?"

Vi stared at him. "Are you stupid?"

Ekko flushed. "It could happen, okay? First time for everything."

The pinkette rolled her eyes. "Yeah, but the chances of that happening for you are pretty slim. Try something else more believable."

Ekko rolled his eyes. "Fine, this girl is going to be madly in love with me and we're going to elope in the next twenty four hours."

Vi chuckled. "That's more like it. Just watch, it's gonna be a fairy tale."

Ekko shuddered. "Oh, the horror."

Vi let out a loud laugh. "You're a riot. Alright, see ya around, Ekko."

The boy nodded and saluted as the pinkette waved and turned to walk in the other direction.

…

Ekko was actually going to go nuts. He glanced at his arm for the hundredth time that day. _00:000:00:02:22._

"This is actually happening," he whispered shakily. "Two minutes."

Ekko had walked around to the border of Zaun, staring out into the distance. The sun was beginning to set, casting a warm orange glow around him. He scuffed at the dry dirt with his shoe. "Might as well just wait here," he muttered. "Fate is gonna do some weird shit."

He stared at his arm as the glowing green numbers counted down.

5\. He heard a vague buzzing noise behind him that sounded like a rocket.

4\. It was getting closer…?

3\. Okay it sounded really close.

2-

"WATCH OUT!"

"What the fuck?" Ekko yelped as he turned around, realizing there was a rather large rocket literally about to land in front of him. He leapt to the side, tumbling into the dry dirt. He blinked rapidly, rubbing the dirt out of his eyes, glancing up at who the petite shadow in front of him was.

He felt a slight burn on the outer right side of his thigh as he took in the girl's features. Bright pink eyes, pale skin, small, petite figure, bright blue braids. Her long bangs were swept up and flipped over the right side of her face. Her long braids reached her knees and swung around wildly. He noticed a long trail of tattoos down the right side of her body of pink bullets and blue clouds. Her outfit-if you could call it one-consisted of a black and pink bikini top and a pair of striped pink and white shorts held up by a thick belt full of ammo. She carried a large rocket launcher on her back that vaguely resembled a shark, along with a pink minigun with bunny ears haphazardly attached. The girl blinked her large pink eyes. "Hey there," she smiled wildly. "You the one with my matching tattoo?"

She turned slightly and revealed a tattoo on her right thigh. It was an intricate clock face with a silly looking pair of bunny ears on top of it, with light blue clouds surrounding the entire base like protective arms.

Ekko blinked. "Uhh," he stumbled over his words in a very articulate manner. The girl reached over and pulled at his right pant leg, revealing his bare thigh. "Hey!" He squeaked. He stopped breathing when he saw the same tattoo on his right thigh in the same place as the girl's. "Oh."

"You are! So, do you like exploding stuff?" the girl asked. Ekko blinked. "Um...if you like doing that, I can turn back time so you can explode it twice?"

The girl clapped. "Perfect!" She pulled him up by the arm, curling herself around his bicep. "I'm Jinx, by the way."

Ekko stopped. His brain was overwhelmed. He looked at the petite girl attached to his arm, blushed, glanced at the steaming rocket that just landed, gaped, and then started his brain up again. "Wait..Jinx? Aren't you here for your sister? Vi?"

The bluenette blinked. "Oh, yeah, that's why I was here! Silly me. You know her?"

"Um. Yes." Ekko managed. "I can take her to you. I mean you to her. I mean.." He mentally hit himself. "I can bring you to Vi."

Jinx raised a blue eyebrow. "You're funny," she giggled. "Okay, let's go! Oh, and what's your name?"

"Ekko."

"Okay Ekko, if we're going to be together for the rest of our lives, you better learn how to follow me and not ask questions!"


	4. Chapter 4

_Lol so like I haven't updated this in a year or something but I'm feeling wildly productive right now which is weird bc junior year is sucking the fucking life out of me right now! Also y'all might wanna just start from the first chapter because idk about you but I totally fucking forgot what I wrote_

"Okay Ekko, if we're going to be together for the rest of our lives, you better learn how to follow me and not ask questions!"

Ekko nodded mutely, and Jinx smiled widely. "Perfect! You're already following directions! So, how is my little sis, anyways? I haven't seen her in _years."_ The bluenette attached to his arm began rambling, and Ekko ended up tuning out and spiraling into his own thoughts as they walked towards the city of Zaun. _She's fucking crazy. Cute though. But I'm pretty sure there's something loose in her head. Does that cancel out the cuteness? What?_

"...I hear she's a cop now. I've seen her with those fat metal hands, and I gotta say, they're not the best fashion choice. Don't ya think?" Jinx paused when her soulmate didn't answer. "Hell-oo? Anyone in there?"

Ekko blinked. "Oh. Um, sorry. Just thinking."

Jinx giggled. "That's cute. But thinking takes a lot of time, y'know? Why don't you just wing it and see what happens?"

It became clear to the teen that his soulmate was almost the complete polar opposite of him. Her carefree, wild personality highly contrasted his mellower, strategic mindset. Biting his lip, he wondered how long he could take her babbling until he went insane.

To say he was relieved when Vi's home came into view was an understatement. His ears had become accustomed to Jinx's constant humming or talking, but there was only so much he could take. "We're here," he interrupted the bluenette, cutting off her spiel about how Fishbones was a big wuss. "Oh!" she smiled. "So this is where she's been."

The bluenette sounded almost nostalgic and Ekko thought he saw a flash of sadness in her eyes. He didn't have time to register it as she rapped her knuckles loudly on Vi's door. "Hey Pinky, open up! Your big sister is here!"

Ekko pulled Jinx back from the door. "She's not gonna hear you if you knock on a metal door," he scolded. "She has a doorbell."

Jinx stuck her tongue out. "Bleh. I usually blow the door up anyways."

Ekko raised an eyebrow before pressing the metal button next to the doorframe. A buzz sounded from somewhere inside the house and he heard heavy footsteps making their way closer to the door. The door swung open and there stood Vi. Her gauntlets were off and it looked like she had just finished showering. Her pink hair was wet and pushed back and she wore a light blue camisole with dark blue shorts. "Um...hi." Her eyes darted up and down Jinx, taking her in. "So...you're my sister?"

"Yep!" Jinx grinned. "Hey sis. Sorry to barge in on your life so suddenly. But I thought about it and I realized I haven't seen my little sister in the looongest time so I took a road trip."

"More like a rocket trip," Ekko mumbled. "She almost ran me into the dirt."

Vi raised an eyebrow but stepped back to let the pair in and led them to a gray couch in the living room. "Guess we have a lot to talk about, huh kid?"

"You call him kid? How old are you?" Jinx tilted her head to the side. "I'm older than Pinky here...so that means you're really young. I'm soulmates with a kid?"

Vi blinked as Jinx tossed her heavy guns onto the couch before bouncing onto it. "Hold up. What? Kid, she's the soulmate you've been tryin' to avoid?"

"I'm eighteen," Ekko sat on the couch beside Jinx, annoyed. "I'm not a kid. And I haven't been trying to avoid her, I was just… taking my time."

Jinx snorted. "That's a nice way to say avoiding," she teased. "And you're barely an adult! Pinky's twenty, and I'm twenty four. So you're still a kid."

Vi's eye twitched. "Don't call me that. And seriously, how are you my sister? I don't remember anything about you."

Jinx twisted a braid around her arm. "I guess you wouldn't. You were a baby. And I guess something hit that hard head of yours so you forgot." She almost sounded regretful for a moment, and fell quiet, but Ekko broke the silence before it got too awkward. "So… I guess you guys should catch up. I gotta get home to see how my mom is," he stood up. Jinx grabbed his arm. "Shouldn't I meet the in-laws?" Her eyes glinted. Vi smirked. "She's right," the pinkette teased. "This is the perfect time."

Ekko groaned. "I thought you came to see Vi," he complained. Jinx smiled up at him. "That was _before_ I knew I would be meeting a cute boy toy-" Ekko choked. "-and anyways, I can catch up with little sis any time, right?" She looked to her sister for affirmation. Vi shrugged. Jinx grinned. "Perfect. If you have any questions I'll be around!"

In a flash, Jinx grabbed her guns and dragged Ekko out of the house. "Bye little sis! Eat your veggies!"

"...What the hell?" Vi frowned, scratching her head.

…

 _00:000:04:16:03._

Zed sighed, laying down on the grassy hill. Any second now, Shen would-

"Brother!" Ah, there he was. Zed cracked an eye open and saw his brother hovering over him, mask pulled down and a wide grin on his face. "She said yes."

Zed opened his other eye and sighed. "I told you so."

The blue ninja sat down next to him. "Thank you, Zed," he said quietly. "I know that you still haven't…"

"I was never meant to stay with Akali," Zed interrupted. "I should have used the timer as a warning."

"You'll love your soulmate, you know," Shen said, staring into the distance. "When I met Akali I didn't want to tear your relationship apart. But…"

"She left me for you," Zed said softly. "But I can't blame her. I just thought that maybe our love would be strong enough to get past the timers."

The brothers were silent for a few moments. "Remember to introduce her to me when you meet her," Shen finally said. "Akali and I will welcome her with open arms into this family. And you should too."

Zed clenched his teeth. "We'll see."

"I'll see you later tonight?" Shen stood up, looking down at his brother. "Sure," Zed muttered. "See you." He pulled at his sleeve and glared at the numbers on his arm. _00:000:04:01:05._

 _Kinda short but I'm getting back in the vibe I guess?_


End file.
